How to properly use "focus assist" on HD110?
 

I have done a search here, but haven't come up with an answer. When you press focus assist you see blue lines etc on the subject. What is the goal with these outlines? Adjust focus ring till blue lines are in best focus in viewfinder? What is the process in assisting focus? Thanks.

Tom, the focus assist is a tool used to accurately focus on desired objects. I use yellow setting. It supposed to highlight around the desired area. Always check you back focus though!

Thanks. But what do these colored lines do? Are you adjusting focus until the colored lines are as sharp as you can get? Is that the intended purpose? This is what I wasn't sure of.

Check out the manual. It clearly explains the operation of the focus assist.
Good luck.

There must be something I am missing, because I read the manual or I wouldn't have posted...

On the "right side" page of the CONTROLS, INDICATORS AND CONNECTORS section of my manual, under "focus assist button" it says: "When you press this button during shooting, the area of focus is displayed in blue, red or green, making it easy to focus accurately." It continues: See "LCD/VF (1/3) Menu Screen". (to select blue, red or green)

Thanks, and yes I read that in the manual as well. My question is not being answered by this statement. Without the use of a monitor, how do you interpret the colored lines? Are you looking for the sharpest focus of these lines, or amount of lines etc??? I am asking the correlation between the colored lines and what you are looking for in the viewfinder. Am I making myself clear with my question? Thanks.

it will show you which area of the shot is in focus. So you adjust the focus till your focus desired area is highlighted by the focus assist tool.

You are looking for the sharpest focus of the subject (I presume). The blue (or red or green) outline surrounds the sharp items.
Good luck,

Thank you Robert and Kennedy. That is what I was asking. The light bulb just came on! OK, I got it now. I have never used a focus assist before and wanted to make sure I got it right. Thanks for answering my newbie dumb question of the week! Much appreciated.

The same feature on bw viewfinders on broadcast cameras is called Peaking. It applies an artificial outline to objects in focus by looking at the high frequency detail. Only objects in focus will have sharp enough light to dark transitions to create a high frequency video signal. Your camera is the same, but uses colored lines to achieve the same effect.

-gb-

Greg,

I believe the JVC hdxx cams has BOTH peaking AND focus assist.
The one that you say uses colored lines is dubbed focus assist, where the image is rendered B&W.
The peaking feature adds the highlighted edges but leaves the image in color. Theres also a knob that adjusts the intensity of peaking.

Though it might be just be one and the same electronic technology inside but just rendered in 2 flavors for the user.

Tom,

I caution against using peaking beyond the half mark of the knob as this misleads you to think that the image is noisy.

I recommend just a pinch of peaking in combination with a "moment" of focus assist.

Ted